Pakistan hails US-Iran peace process as diplomacy win

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at a podium with Pakistan flags. — NEWS IMAGE Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi addressing the weekly media briefing in Islamabad. Image: Radio Pakistan, via Radio Pakistan.

What happened

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the Lucerne Summit had reinforced Pakistan’s faith in dialogue and diplomacy as the most effective means of settling disputes.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing in Islamabad, Andrabi described the Islamabad MoU as a historic breakthrough and recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced its electronic signing by the United States and Iran on 18 June, as KhabarWire reported in its account of the electronically signed memorandum.

He said Pakistan and Qatar jointly hosted the first High-Level Committee meeting under the MoU framework in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June. The meeting concluded with a joint statement by the two mediators setting out follow-up steps.

What was agreed

Under the framework, a High-Level Committee was established to provide political oversight of the mediation. Chief negotiators from the two sides will report regularly to the committee and lead specialised working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, and monitoring and dispute resolution.

The parties agreed on a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days. They also agreed to set up a direct communication line to prevent incidents and miscommunication, aimed at ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. A de-confliction mechanism involving Lebanon was established under the facilitation of Pakistan and Qatar.

Andrabi said a technical-level meeting followed in Bürgenstock on 22 June. Pakistan’s delegation was led by Special Secretary and head of the United Nations and OIC Division Ambassador Nabeel Munir. The spokesperson said the US-Iran technical talks had paused temporarily and would resume the following week.

Why it matters

Andrabi said the pathway towards sanctions relief for Iran had already been initiated in Bürgenstock, and that progress on trade and economic cooperation with Iran would move alongside the lifting of sanctions. He added that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had been lifted, that navigation would ease progressively and that Pakistan supported restoring the status quo ante in the waterway, an important international trade corridor.

He welcomed statements from other countries and international partners recognising Pakistan’s role, saying the recognition reflected confidence in Islamabad’s commitment to dialogue, peace and stability. He also praised the Pakistani media for exercising restraint and confidentiality during the mediation.

On the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan, covered by KhabarWire’s report on the 23 June Islamabad visit, Andrabi said it was historically significant as the Iranian president’s first trip abroad after the war. He said Tehran had once again reposed trust in Pakistan as a mediator and facilitator.

Andrabi said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had engaged with counterparts from Switzerland, Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Italy, Canada, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Iran and Uzbekistan in the preceding weeks. He noted the 21 June meeting in Cairo of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, known as the H4 grouping, where progress on the Islamabad MoU was reviewed.

The spokesperson also announced that Pakistan had facilitated the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals, including rescued fishermen and crew members, in coordination with Iranian, US and UK authorities. He highlighted the unanimous adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2823, sponsored by Pakistan with support from Denmark, which calls for credible investigations and accountability for attacks targeting peacekeepers.